James Sternlicht
Founder and CEO
Growing up to entrepreneurial parents and with a passion for the environment, James Sternlicht found himself at the intersection of the worlds of investing, marketing, and philanthropy from a young age. As he studied the intersection of these various fields during his time at Dartmouth College, he developed a love of the systems thinking model of the world, and this has informed his work with many of the organizations that he has worked with, including Oceanic Global, where he serves as Director fo Strategic Development, helping bring together impactful initiatives for reducing the impacts of humanity on the natural world through reducing waste and bringing in alternative solutions.
Through explorations of fields of emerging technology, including blockchain and artificial intelligence, he began to find intersections and gaps in the approaches taken by many of the players in the space -and found a critical failure in the coordination of efforts between research institutions, non-profits, multilateral organizations, and the private sector in building out a comprehensive approach to tackling the greatest problems facing our world today – climate change and inequality. Recognizing this, he engaged with experts in various fields to build out a working model for a theory of change which would allow for the coordinated deployment of philanthropic and investment capital, aligned with data-driven and common sense public policy approaches, which serves as the basis for the founding of Peace Department – a platform dedicated to elucidating a critical path for humanity and shepherding stakeholders onto that path.
Now, pulling from deep networks and wide access to resources, he seeks to drive this vision forward with a team of like-minded individuals dedicated to optimizing the effectiveness of efforts towards a bright and omniconsiderate future, a world in which people and planet live in partnership, and where humanity has a stable platform to build from in our explorations of the art of the possible.
Mike Scala
Mike works to transform the way that corporations, family offices, governments, NGO’s, and foundations launch their initiatives, align their core values, CSR, and ESG whilst maximizing impact. He is the founder of The Impact Agency and has led efforts around the world in the areas of disaster relief, human rights, education, environmental sustainability, clean energy, and more. With a strong background in public-private partnerships, community and youth engagement, scaling, and building unique initiatives he is currently working with a variety of family offices, institutions, and organizations helping them to create projects that align with their goals and double the impact of their funding. His unique approach has led to the support of communities across 30+ countries and work with organizations such as World Health Organization, Bankers Without Boundaries, Global Citizen, UNHCR, Thomson Reuters, and more. He is the Chief Operating Officer of the PD and an executive coach to various leaders around the world throughout the public and private sector.
Natalia Alvarez De Jesus
Natalia Alvarez De Jesús is a dynamic professional serving as Chief of Staff for The Peace Department. She graduated from Manhattan College in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. In 2020, Natalia was selected as a Fulbright grantee for an English teaching assistantship in Brazil, showcasing her dedication to global education.
Building on her academic achievements, she earned a Master’s degree in International Relations from Ramon Llull Blanquerna in 2021. Natalia’s master’s thesis focused on a compelling sociopolitical and economic analysis of the legitimacy of Puerto Rico’s status under international law, highlighting her expertise in complex global issues.
Her commitment to community development is evident in her role as a Project Assistant for the Organization for Culture of Hispanic Origins, where she played a vital role in establishing a community center in the south of Puerto Rico. Currently serving as Chief of Staff for The Peace Department, Natalia is instrumental in coordinating organizational efforts and providing essential support to various projects. She brings a wealth of experience, academic excellence, and a passion for positive change to her role, embodying a commitment to fostering peace and sustainable development on a global scale.
Christina Calfo
Christina Calfo serves as the Acting Director of Programming to The Peace Department, having previously held the position full-time for almost two years. Christina has an extensive background in the non-profit space, including in developmental, operational, and programmatic capacities, and began her non-profit career consulting for multiple NYC performing arts education organizations while still attending Barnard College of Columbia University. As The Peace Department’s Director of Programming, Christina oversees the organization’s entire project pipeline, from strategic development and research/discovery phases, to partner outreach and engagement, to funding strategy and donor cultivation, and finally to management of project deployment and long-term impact post-implementation. A passionate environmentalist and social justice advocate, Christina joins The Peace Department in the conviction that the only viable solutions to our current climate and humanitarian crises will be born from comprehensive systems design, and more importantly, radical and cross-sectoral collaboration. Christina now also serves full-time as the Associate Director of Development & Programming for The Possibility Project, an NYC-based performing-arts-for-social-impact organization.
